Psychiatric injury

Bonser v UK Coalmining Ltd (formerly RJB Mining (UK) Ltd) CA TLR 30 June

For an employee to recover damages for psychiatric injury caused by stress at work there had to have been a sufficient indication of impending harm to health arising from the stress at work, which was plain enough for any employer to realise in order to trigger a duty for the employer to do something about it. The claimant was hard-working and conscientious and did not manifest by her conduct or by complaints anything sufficient to put the employer on notice that she was vulnerable to imminent risk of injury or health. She did not therefore meet the high threshold for succeeding in the cause of action in recovering damages for psychiatric illness caused by stress at work.